Device for holding, releasing, and opening doors.



I No. 7121;421. v PATENTBD JAN. 31, 1905..

' w. J. HASLAM;

DEVICE FOR HOLDING, RELEASING, AND OPENING moons. i APPLICATION rum)APR. 22. 19 04.

\ I IN-YENTOHI T no. 7s1,421.

UNITED STATES v I atented January 31, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. HASLAM, OF DRACUT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-- THIRD TOMERRITT K. JOHNSON AND THOMAS MCAVOY, OF LOWELL,

MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICEZFORIHOLDING, RELEASINIGQANID OPENING moons.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 781,421, dated anuary31, 1905.

Application filed April 22, 1904. Serial No- 204,420

To a whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. HASLAM, acitizen of the United States, residing in Dracut, in the county ofMiddlesex and Commonwealth 5 of Massachusetts, have invented acertainnew and useful Improvement in Devices for Holding, Releasing. andOpening Doors, of'which' the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for hold- 1 ing, releasing, andopening doors, especially of coops, pens, and stables where domesticfowls or other animals are confined in the night, the object of theinvention being to enable such fowls or other animals to be released inthe early morning without the'personal attendance of the owner orkeeper. By this device such fowls or animals may be allowed to go out ofdoorsor into another room in which their food has been placed overnight2 without the necessity of extremely early rising on the part of theperson whose duty is to look after them.

In carrying out said invention I use adoor which being closed at nightis opened automatically' when released in the morning by the act of thefowls-or animals themselves in grasping a portion of food secured to aholding and releasing device, and thereby moving said device out of itsholding position. The invention consists in the devices and combinations hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is an inside elevation of awall of a coop or shedprovided with my improvement, the door bec ing closed; Fig. 2, a similarview with the door open; Fig. 3, a plan ofthe wall and the door-raisingdrum and flexible connection, the door, and the catch-lever; Fig. 4, aplan of said drum, its attaching means, and operating 4 spring, theupper right-hand quadrant of said drum being removed to show saidspring.

A represents a wall of abuilding, as a hencoop, cattle-shed, or similarstructure for the lodging of domestic fowls or domestic-animals; a, anaperture or opening in said wall, serving as a doorway through whichsuch fowls' or animals may have egress.

B indicates a door represented as capable of being moved vertically toopen or close said doorway, said door having secured thereto, as 5.

by screws 6 straps 6, provided with loops 6, which surround' and slideon vertical rods CO, secured at their ends, as by screws or 'bolts, tothe frame-pieces (4'0 of said Wall.

One end of a flexible connection, such as a cord, chain, or wire D, issecured to the door B by any convenient means, as by an eye-strap d, theshank of which is bolted at d to said door, the other end of saidconnection being attached to a drum E, actuated by a spring F to wind upsaid connection with sufiicient force to more than counterbalance theweight of said connection and door, when the door is free to move. Thedrum E turns on a stud G,

-which projects horizontally from the wall A 5 and is represented asbeing rigidlysecured to abar 9, held by bolts or screws g to said wall.

The spring F is shown as a helicalwirespring, one end of which is. fastto the free end portion of the stud G, the other end of said springbeing, 7

secured to said drum at g so that when the A near one side of the doorand is provided on one arm with an upwardly-extending catch h, adaptedto hook over any suitable projection on the margin of the door, saidcatch being represented in Fig. 1 as hooking over the loop of one of thestraps b, and thus prevent- 5 ing the opening of the door. The outer armof the catch-lever H is provided with a springcliph adapted to graspfirmly a portion of food, as corn on the cob I, of such a nature thatpecking or pulling on the food will draw down .99 said outer arm'andpull the hook or catch it out of engagement with the loop, allowing 1the door to he raised by the spring-actuated drum E.. v

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a door, automatic meansfor opening said door, and a device adapted to prevent the operation ofsaid opening means and provided with a food-holder and adapted to bemoved by the attempted removal of food from said holder, to permit theoperation of said opening means.

2. The combination of a door, automatic means for opening said door, alever having a catch to engage said door and prevent the opening of thesame, and provided also With aclip adapted to hold food, said leverbeing adapted to be moved by the attempted removal of food from saidclip, to release said door.

3. The combination of a sliding door, suitable guides therefor, a drum,a flexible connection between said drum and door, a spring adapted torotate said drum, to wind said connection upon said drum and to opensaid door, a lever provided with a catch to engage said door and holdthe same in a closed position, and provided also with a clip to holdfood, said lever being adapted to be moved by the attempted removal offood from said clip, to throw said catch out of engagement with saiddoor.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM J. HASLAM.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. l\ i OORE, MERRITT K. JOHNSON.

